Divorced woman with child travels through time

Wang Erniu was still pondering how to resolve this matter and how to tell his wife.

The next day, Qi Heng sent a subordinate with a message, saying it was a warning from a former army comrade who had asked him to come through a middleman. The message said that an army would be stationed in Lijia Town in half a month, and a poll tax would likely be unavoidable. He was advised to be discreet and not be the first to stick his neck out, lest he get beaten up…

In the evening, Wang Erniu asked Chen Wenfang to gather several brothers for dinner. After dinner, the children asked Uncle Hu's family to take Da Xiong and Lulu to play on the kang (a heated brick bed), while the others sat around the stove.

Wang Erniu spoke up, "I've received word that Zhou Bapi has already submitted a memorial and it's been approved. The imperial court will soon send troops to garrison the area. At that time, paying taxes will be unavoidable, and we were the ones who initiated the policy of not paying taxes. If the army comes, we'll probably be the first to be punished after the harvest. Let's discuss this matter and see what we can do."

Brother Nie was drying his shoes. He flipped them over and tapped them on the ground. He said, "Erniu, this is a bit tricky."

Lü Xiong chimed in, "That's right! Brother, if all else fails, let's rebel!"

Hu Chengxin rolled his eyes. "With so few people, how can we possibly have enough? What's the point of rebelling? Why don't we call Qi Heng over to come and work with us? That would be more like it."

Aunt Hu punched him lightly, but didn't say anything.

Wang Xiaoguang said, "Brother, it seems like we have no other way to go."

Wang Hanyang pondered, "Perhaps you, Second Brother, can you see if there's any other way? Sticking to only one path isn't a solution!"

"You're right. Let's all think together and see if there are any other solutions."

Everyone was at a loss. Chen Wenfang took a couple of sips of tea, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke, "Husband, why don't we think of a way? Let's kill that Zhou Bapi! He's the one who caused all this trouble. Let's solve the problem at its source. If he's dead, will the army no longer need to come?"

Before Wang Erniu could speak, Brother Nie clapped his hands and said, "Madam, this is a good idea. I've wanted to kill that bastard for a long time. That corrupt official is no good. We should kill him sooner rather than later. Anyway, there are many people who want to kill him. Maybe they won't even guess that it was us who did it."

"That's right, that's right, this method is good."

"Yes, yes, kill him by accident, like a horse getting spooked and trampling him to death."

"If all else fails, falling into the river is fine too," Lü Xiong said slowly, exchanging a glance with Wang Hanyang. The two of them chuckled. "I know this stuff well, hehe."

"You're just being ridiculous. Even if you're going to kill him, you can't do it in public," Sister-in-law Nie advised.

"Yes, without anyone noticing," Aunt Hu added.

Wang Erniu found it both funny and absurd. He realized that his brothers were completely of one mind with him, sharing the same thoughts.

Everyone was arguing and saying their own opinions.

"Alright, alright, quiet down. This is one way." Wang Erniu waved his hand. "Is there any other way? I think we should talk to the Chamber of Commerce about this. They can't escape it. It's not like we're the only ones who don't pay taxes."

"But husband?" Chen Wenfang said, "We shouldn't let too many people know about this, otherwise it will be hard to handle if it gets out."

Wang Erniu nodded, "That's right. Then I'll think of another way. If we can avoid touching this official, we should try our best to do so. After all, killing an official is not a good thing."

Brother Nie smiled bitterly, “What kind of world is this? They demand taxes whenever they want, and they demand money whenever they want. There’s no room for discussion, and you can’t resist. It’s like the biggest mountain in the world is pressing down on you. No one can resist. If you dare to resist, you’re considered to be rebelling. You have to pay this tax whether you want to or not.”

Wang Hanyang added, "Yes, it's rare that with Magistrate Ouyang in office for these past few years, the people's lives had finally improved a little, and they could breathe a sigh of relief. Then he was transferred away again. Sigh..."

Lu Xiong patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Take it easy, brother. The world isn't like it is today. We'll get through it if we can, and if we can't, we'll find a way to get through it. Aren't we living pretty well now? We're all together, it's wonderful." With that, he downed the wine on the table in one gulp.

Wang Erniu also said, "Xiao Lü is right, that's exactly it. We have to do it whether we like it or not. Don't worry, I'll take responsibility if anything happens. You guys follow me, I won't let you suffer."

"Second Brother, what are you saying? We brothers have been through thick and thin together for so many years, of course we'll stand together through thick and thin," Brother Nie said, tapping the ground with his shoe.

“That’s right, Second Brother, your words are hurting our brotherly relationship,” Wang Hanyang chimed in.

"Hehe, I know, it's my fault." Wang Erniu readily agreed, bowed, and said apologetically, "Then it's settled. Get some rest early tonight, and let's think about how to clear our relationship later."

"Okay, Second Brother, we'll head back now. Goodbye." Everyone got up and went back to their respective buildings.

That night, Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu had a deep and intimate conversation in bed.

Chen Wenfang asked Wang Erniu curiously, "Husband, what method are you going to use to deal with this Zhou Bapi?"

Wang Erniu stroked her smooth shoulder, pulled her into his arms, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Wife, you don't need to worry about these things. They're too sordid for you to hear."

“But I feel I need to know that husband and wife are one. If anything happens, I can help you find the problem and fix it. Don’t underestimate me, I’m just a cobbler too,” Chen Wenfang said with a smile, looking at him intently.

Wang Erniu's heart skipped a beat, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. He said, "Since my wife wants to know, I'll tell you, but this is a matter of life and death. Aren't you afraid?"

It was too tight, and Chen Wenfang was having trouble breathing. She pulled away a little, looked into his eyes, and smiled, "Of course I'm not afraid. I've died once before, what's there to be afraid of?"

"What is yarn?" Wang Erniu asked curiously, having heard a new word.

"Husband, don't change the subject, just tell me the truth," Chen Wenfang said coquettishly.

“Alright, since you want to know, I’ll tell you in detail,” Wang Erniu began, explaining slowly and deliberately. “We’ve already found out that Zhou Bapi has a hobby: he loves money and women. Since he has a weakness, it’s easy to deal with him. Tomorrow, we will do this, and then that.”

The two talked at length until late at night before finally going to sleep...

Two days later, Zhou Zhengyu, who was enjoying a leisurely drink, received some good news. Thanks to the efforts of his superiors, a military officer would be arriving with about a hundred soldiers in ten days, and he would need to make all the necessary arrangements.

Zhou Zhengyu was overjoyed; he could almost see piles of silver waving at him...

"Hey, once this is done, I'll get promoted again, haha, you all look down on me for being a lackey, humph, you'd better be able to be someone's lackey first..."